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EB0EB0FZMZZM01

1.0 PureTech engine: faults and reliability

PSA 1.0 VTi / PureTech 68 (EB0) · Peugeot and Citroën

It is a simple naturally aspirated three-cylinder, but with two documented weak points: oil consumption through the piston rings, which Stellantis acknowledges across its entire production (2012-2016), and the oil-bath timing belt it shares with the 1.2. It is only recommended with a full service history, a consumption test and a checked belt.[1][2][3][4]

Risk index
57
High risk · what it is
Documented faults
2
2 of high or critical severity
Timing
Wet belt (belt-in-oil)
Sensitive to oil type[2][3][5][6]
Production
2012–2016
2 models on this site

16 sourcesHow we work

Which 1.0 PureTech versions should you buy?

Our verdict for each version, based on the documented faults.

  • 1.0 VTi / PureTech 68 (EB0, 2012-2016)

    2012–2016 · 68 hp · EB0, EB0F, ZMZ, ZM01

    With caution

    Its entire production falls within the manufacturer's oil consumption programme and it has the oil-bath belt of the EB family. It is only worth considering with maintenance invoices, a consumption test and the belt checked or replaced, because almost all units have already passed the 10 years of the extended warranty.[1][2][4][7]

Buy: No known serious faults, or they have already been corrected, in this version. With caution: Worth buying if something specific is verified: history, a replaced part or a completed campaign. Avoid: High risk of a serious fault that is hard to check for or prevent.

Known faults of the 1.0 PureTech

Sorted from most to least important (severity × frequency).

  1. 1High severityFrequency: Very frequentLubricationExcessive oil consumption through the piston ringsYes. Stellantis acknowledges that naturally aspirated 1.0 and 1.2 EB engines built between June 2012 and November 2016 can use excessive oil because of fouling of the piston rings; depending on consumption and mileage, its network replaces the water outlet housing or the whole engine.
  2. 2Critical severityFrequency: OccasionalTimingDegradation of the oil-bath timing beltThe 1.0 VTi/PureTech 68 uses the same oil-bath timing belt as the 1.2. Over time it can degrade and shed debris that blocks the oil pump strainer, with a risk of serious failure. It has not had a recall, but it falls under Stellantis's extended warranty.Repair (garage): €400–€800

Severity colours: low, medium, high, critical. How we rate them

By part

Compare each fault with the same part on other engines: symptoms, cost and affected models.

Symptoms of these faults

What the 1.0 PureTech is

The EB0 is the smallest petrol three-cylinder in PSA's EB family: 999 cc (71 × 84.1 mm), aluminium block and head, twin overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder, continuously variable valve timing on both camshafts and indirect injection. It produces 68 hp and 95 Nm. Unlike the 1.2 of the same family, it has no balancer shaft.[2][5][6][8]

PSA developed it in-house alongside the 1.2 VTi and built it at its Trémery plant (Moselle, France). It reached the market in 2012 and its most striking technical feature is the toothed timing belt that runs inside the engine, lubricated by the oil like a chain; the supplier was Dayco and PSA presented it as a part designed to last the life of the car.[3][8]

Only two models used it: the first-generation Peugeot 208 and the second-generation Citroën C3, sold first as the 1.0 VTi 68 and then as the 1.0 PureTech 68. Production ended at the end of July 2016; in the 208 it was replaced by a 1.2 PureTech with the same output.[2][5][9][10][11]

It should not be confused with the 68-72 hp 1.0 VTi of the second-generation Peugeot 108 and Citroën C1, which is a Toyota engine (1KR-FE). Nor does it appear in the Peugeot 301 or Citroën C-Elysée range, whose smallest petrol engine in the sources consulted is the 72 hp 1.2.[12][13][14]

Manufacturer
PSA Peugeot Citroën (hoy Stellantis)
Family
EB (PureTech)
Fuel
Petrol
Displacement
999 cm³
Cylinders
3
Fuel system
Naturally aspirated
Injection
Indirect injection
Timing
Wet belt (belt-in-oil)
Power
68 hp
Peak torque
95 Nm
Production
2012–2016
Makes
Peugeot and Citroën

Technical data[2][3][5][6]

What changed between versions

  1. 2012–2016

    1.0 VTi / PureTech 68 (EB0, 2012-2016)

    The only version of the engine. It was sold first as the 1.0 VTi 68 and later as the 1.0 PureTech 68; in the 2015-2016 208 it already met the Euro 6 standard and in January 2015 Citroën updated the 68 hp version of the C3 to meet it too.[5][9][10][15][16]

Cars fitted with the 1.0 PureTech

2 models sold in Spain. Open each one to see all their faults and the buying checklist.

Citroën

Peugeot

Compare the 1.0 PureTech

Are you buying a car with the 1.0 PureTech?

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Do you have a car with this engine? Tell us which faults you have had, at how many kilometres and how much you paid. Report your fault.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

  1. Citroën, DS, Opel, Peugeot 1.2 PureTech. Nouvelle prise en charge pour la consommation d'huileL'argus · Motoring press · published 30 March 2024 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  2. Moteur EBWikipédia · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  3. PSA inaugure son « trois-pattes »L'argus · Motoring press · published 28 December 2011 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  4. Moteurs PureTech - Stellantis prend a minima ses responsabilitésUFC-Que Choisir · Consumer association · published 18 January 2025 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  5. Peugeot 208 5p Access 1.0 PureTech 68 (2012-2015): precio y ficha técnicakm77 · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  6. Prueba de consumo (126): Peugeot 208 1.0-VTi 68 CVkm77 · Motoring press · published 5 August 2013 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  7. 1.2 PureTech: precio y cambio de correa de distribuciónAutopista · Motoring press · published 2 August 2026 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  8. Essai - Peugeot 208 1.0 VTI 68 ch : rat des villesCaradisiac · Motoring press · published 25 September 2013 · consulted 26 September 2026 · in French
  9. Citroën C3 Tonic VTi 68 (2012-2013): precio y ficha técnicakm77 · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  10. Citroën C3 Attraction PureTech 68 (2013-2015): precio y ficha técnicakm77 · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  11. Peugeot 208 5p Access 1.2 PureTech 68 (2016-2018): precio y ficha técnicakm77 · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  12. Peugeot 108Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
  13. Peugeot 301 (2012)Wikipedia · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
  14. Citroën C-ElyséeWikipedia · Other source · consulted 26 September 2026
  15. Peugeot 208 5p Access 1.0 PureTech 68 (2015-2016): precio y ficha técnicakm77 · Technical documentation · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish
  16. Citroën C3 (2013): información generalkm77 · Motoring press · consulted 26 September 2026 · in Spanish